If things fall into place this morning I’ll be honored to talk to a special audience. Becky’s working to arrange a speaking event for the Re-Entry Center of Ocala. It’s a program designed to help men emerging from the department of corrections break the cycle of addiction, crime, and incarceration. I’ve spoken to similar groups […]
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It Really Is A Small World
We had a great ride today, but had to stop about two miles from the hotel. The town of Spring Hill literally has NO bike lanes or sidewalks on major streets, and we (well, Becky) decided two more miles wasn’t worth the risk. So we stopped to get off the bike and a lady came […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat’s With The Gaps?
Note to the touring cyclist: if you’re going to use Google Maps for directions, make sure you enter the correct address for your starting point. The day’s ride doesn’t begin well when you get lost at the very first turn out of the hotel parking lot. On the other hand, Lakeland is a cool place […]
Continue readingMore TagGetting On The Team
A few days ago we were unloading in a hotel room. I flipped on the TV to whatever channel appeared, and in the background I heard this comment: “I hope they pick me. It would change my life.” That caught my attention. Turns out it was some sort of cooking contest—this young woman worked for […]
Continue readingMore TagA Week At A Time
For some reason, the start of week #4 of the Florida tour has me thinking about my best friend Wayne. Wayne was the first person I told about the dream of a cross-country ride. He always encouraged me to go for it. I’m sorry he didn’t live to see it happen—it would have brought him […]
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Happy Monday! The beginning of week #4 of our Florida tour finds me experiencing today’s word-of-the-week… SCRAMBLED This isn’t about eggs. It’s about our schedule, the crazy way opportunities appear, the wonderfully unexpected way God interrupts our plans. Anyone watching would think the whole thing is scrambled. Have you ever thought God’s work should go […]
Continue readingMore TagThat Rain Is COLD!
Just a quick update because it’s Sunday. Saturday brought our first in-progress rainout of the tour. We started in beautiful, cool, sunny weather in Bradenton, but as we headed north the wind kicked up. At about 25 miles I stopped for what cyclists call a “natural break” and when I came outside a rainstorm had […]
Continue readingMore TagGiving Away Courage
Kris Volpone, the volunteer coordinator for the Fort Meyers Salvation Army, did an amazing job facilitating our meeting with their various client groups. She also offered an interesting observation. “I was interested in how you invited the clients to encourage each other. We talk to them so much about being self-reliant and leaning on God, […]
Continue readingMore TagWill You Tolerate Interruptions?
I’m learning a lot on this tour. One lesson is the difference between interruptions and distractions. We talk about being willing to let God interrupt our plans, not being so focused on our vision that we won’t allow God’s vision to interrupt. When we’re seeking speaking opportunities along the route, churches often respond that they’ve […]
Continue readingMore TagEverybody’s Got…
…a story. I think we all know that, but this tour of Florida has impressed upon me two realities about many of those stories. Many stories remain untold for a lot of reasons. Some hide their stories out of fear or guilt over past mistakes. Others believe they’re unworthy, that their stories don’t matter. I’ve […]
Continue readingMore TagJust Another Day
I’m not sure I can recall a twenty-four hour period that’s been so packed, blessed, and so much a roller-coaster of experiences. Tuesday evening we met with a group of inpatient clients in the detox unit at David Lawrence Treatment Center in Naples. They’re in the midst of a difficult process, trying to rid themselves […]
Continue readingMore TagGators And Hope
Today’s blog is short. That’s because yesterday was a great day. First, we completed our crossing of the Tamiami Trail—minus the stretch where someone decided they needed rumble strips every ten feet or so on the shoulder. I tried dodging around them, but the traffic had other ideas. So we’re now 474 miles along and […]
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