When You’re Not Sure What To Do…

…help someone. (This week I’m thinking about what I’d tell graduates at commencement.) Inevitably, you’re going to reach places where you feel stuck and don’t know which way to turn or what to do next. You’ll wonder about God’s purpose and whether there’s any point to it all. Maybe you’re looking for the right person and […]

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You’ll Never…

…love too much. (Note: This week I’m  thinking about what I’d tell graduates at commencement.) It’s awfully easy to go overboard, even with good things. Almost any idea or action, taken to extremes, will get you in trouble. Most of the time, moderation is the way to go. I know of one clear, absolute exception: You’ll never […]

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Commencement

Happy Monday! It’s a special season for many students, which prompts today’s word-of-the-week… COMMENCEMENT I love receiving graduation announcements from former students. Each fancy envelope contains proclamations of proud accomplishment and brings back memories of a fresh face entering my classroom filled with possibility. I love the opportunity to remember successes and struggles and to […]

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What Are We Training For?

Thursday I did my first extended training ride of the season. “Extended” is a relative term—I have a lot of conditioning to accomplish before I’m ready to get On The Road Again in July from Cincinnati to Washington DC. While I cranked along I thought about training. I wonder if most of life is training […]

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The Tyranny Of Nice–a repost

(This article originally appeared on February 23, 2010) Diplomacy is the art of saying “Nice doggie” until you can find a rock. Will Rogers Can you really “kill them with kindness”? I’ve never considered the notion of literally harming someone with kindness. But recently I’ve encountered some folks who’ve caused me to wonder. As I […]

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Hearts And Wineskins

Jesus often rebuked those with “hard hearts.” Our pastor used the phrase “hard hearts” in a message this weekend. He suggested that we should strive to cultivate a “soft heart.” I wondered exactly what he meant. My dictionary defines softhearted as “tenderness of heart, capable of pity or other kindly affection.” I’m not sure that’s […]

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Restore

Happy Monday! Last week’s events (I Love A Happy Ending) prompt today’s word-of-the-week… RESTORE Restore: return to a former place or condition. I wrote a while back about The God Of “Re” and all the “re-” words associated with God. There’s a long list of God-related words with the common “re” prefix. “Re” means again […]

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I Love A Happy Ending

The Stolen Handcycle Chronicles rolls to a happy ending. Friday morning a Fort Collins police detective called with the happy news that they recovered the bike. Thanks to diligent work by law enforcement—supported by a huge circle of prayer—this episode offered about the best possible conclusion. (If you’re unfamiliar with this saga, check out When […]

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Cincinnati To DC

It’s been a busy week for RICH’S RIDE! First, my handcycle was stolen from my garage on Tuesday (When Someone Steals). So lots of folks looked and prayed, and we attracted a bunch of media attention. On Friday police found and returned it. I’m grateful to have it back, and even more grateful that nobody […]

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Adversity And Opportunity

I hope it doesn’t seem like I’m dwelling on a relatively minor incident, but this week’s handcycle theft provides an opportunity. Bouncing Back is, after all, partly about confronting and overcoming adversity. If we learn from small bumps, perhaps we’ll do a little better when something really big happens. Some  observations: “Why” would someone take a […]

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When Someone Steals

It’s a shock. I went to the garage yesterday morning and noticed an empty space. My first thought was, “Where’d I put my handcycle?” as though I might have simply misplaced the seven-foot-long, bright yellow machine. It took a moment to assimilate the fact that someone stole my handcycle. Then there’s some anger, that someone […]

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Comfortable Or Miserable Or …?

Last week (Are You Avoiding God?) I wrote about some guys who feared listening to God because He might ask them to do something they don’t want to do. I think they were afraid God would invite them out of their personal comfort zones. They were right. I thought about security as I watched some […]

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